The Lies of Locke Lamora Read Along – Week 2

This is the second week into the Lies of Locke Lamora read along and this week’s questions were supplied by Susan at Dark Cargo. Click here, if you missed my responses for week one’s questions andhere to see what other people has answered for week two.

1. Do you think Locke can pull off his scheme of playing a Midnighter who is working with Don Salvara to capture the Thorn of Camorr? I mean, he is now playing two roles in this game – and thank goodness for that costume room the Gentlemen Bastards have!
When I found out Locke is also the Midnighter I thought how is this con going to work? Then I realised that the Midnighter role gives him a way out of the situation he set up. But why does it have to be so elaborate and complicated? I think it’s because Locke is cocky and in order to look for some excitement and challenges, he has to create these handicaps for himself in the games he plays.

Since we’re only at around the half-way point of the book, it’s obvious that something’s bound to happen to make it difficult for Locke to pull off the con.

2. Are you digging the detail the author has put into the alcoholic drinks in this story?
The Austershalin brandy sounds so good. An alcoholic drink that gives you all the benefits of getting drunk but without the hangover‽ Sign me up! Now where can I find a bottle of 502?

3. Who is this mysterious lady Gentlemen Bastard Sabetha and what does she mean to Locke?
Actually I really want to know more about this mysterious Sabetha. From the dialogue it’s obvious that Sabetha is the one that got away but who is she? And at what point in Locke’s life did he meet her?

4. Are you as creeped out over the use of Wraithstone to create Gentled animals as I am?
Yeah I was a little taken aback by the usage of Wraithstone. I admit the thought of creating Gentled animals is tempting but it’s not necessary. If we can’t tame them by normal means then what right do we have to force them into a life of servitude? It will be a complete disaster if Wraithstone ever falls into the wrong hands and used for nefarious purposes.

5. I got a kick out of child Locke’s first meeting with Capa Barsavi and his daughter Nazca, which was shortly followed up in the story by Barsavi granting adult Locke permission to court his daughter! Where do you think that will lead? Can you see these two together?
I think Nazca has a crush on Locke but his heart will forever be with someone else. The marriage is just going to be a marriage of convenience, something to keep the Capa happy and take his mind off other things.

I think both of them can work well together if they marry. Locke has the brains and Nazca has the authority. However this can only work if Locke lets Nazca into his little secret about the Gentleman Bastards’ real job.

6. Capa Barsavi is freaked out over rumors of The Gray King and, in fact, us readers are privy to a gruesome torture scene. The Gray King is knocking garristas off left and right. What do you think that means?
Oh is he known as the “Gray King” in the US edition? I prefer to call him the Grey King. Anyway I think Capa Barsavi has gotten too old and not as powerful as before. He has finally met his match in the Grey King and looks like he won’t be able to keep his reign over the city for much longer.

7. In the Interlude: The Boy Who Cried for a Corpse, we learn that Father Chains owes an alchemist a favor, and that favor is a fresh corpse. He sets the boys to figuring out how to provide one, and they can’t ‘create’ the corpse themselves. How did you like Locke’s solution to this conundrum?
I had something similar in mind when I first read about the task. If you can’t create a corpse then the most logical place to look for one is a place where they store dead people, like a morgue. Locke’s solution is pretty creative and shows just how convincing his lies can be.

It’s funny how Locke cannot resist complicating such a “simple” task with his over the top theatrics. Good thing that everything worked out according to his plans.

8 COMMENTS:

I really love the Midnighter scam – it seems a bit superflous to the whole con but it actually gives the GBs a bit of breathing space because the Salvaras now know they’re being conned but have to carry on with the whole farce anyway!
I agree that the Capa has lost the plot a bit – he’s acting almost in a hysterical fashion which I don’t think he can risk doing – he’s showing his vulnerability and clearly he isn’t a match for the Grey King.
Lynn 😀

I am so gonna show up at my next scifi con with a bottle marked “502” with the Austershalin crest and see if anyone gets it!

overcomplicated, theatrical and elaborate? because that’s the most fun way! And Gentlemen Bastards are anything but boring. 😉

that’s something I was thinking about with Nazca and Locke courting each other. She’s the only one who knows exactly how much money Capa Barsavi has, and Locke’s got that vault under the tower. How much would they tell each other about their respective financial secrets?

I agree about Capa Barsavi. With his behavior, even if the Gray King doesn’t kill him, he’s going to start losing his authority over the city. I think Nazca’s guidance might be his only hope of getting out of this without losing his political power.

Cocky describes him so well! I think he’s always tempted to make the schemes more elaborated than they need to be, just because he think it’s fun 😉
I believe both the mysterious Sabetha and the horrible wraithstone are elements that should come later in the series – the first with some arguing and romance hopefully, and the second with impediment disaster that Locke will solve as he does best.